Signal-box.



N. H. SUREN. SIGNAL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1910. 1,029,956. Patented June 18, 1912.

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7 JiZl/Z 2'02": 7 13m, $62M mzrdm COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH CO0WASHINGTON. D- C.

N. H. SUREN.

SIGNAL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22, 1910.

1,029,956. 7 Patented June 18, 1912.

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,54 an) W, Maw @:;m LXLQ. @ZJ d m -M' 7 'ATE NATHAN H. SUREN, OF NEEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GAMEWELL FIRE-ALA RM TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SIGNAL-BOX.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NATHAN H. SUREN, of Neeolham, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Signal-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

In fire alarm telegraph. boxes and other forms of signal-boxes it is usual to employ a number of supplementary electrical-devices of different kinds in connection with the signal-transmitter, such, for instance, as a lightning-arrester, a testing-switch, a manual telegraph key, and sometimes electric connections for a telephone. These electrical-devices are usually mounted on insulated bases and are arranged in the case where most convenient. They are mostly exposed, and particularly their electrical connections, and, as a result, much trouble is experienced when a current of high tension passes over the circuit.

This invention has for its object to construct a hollow support, of porcelain or other non-carbonizable material having high insulating properties, adapted to support the supplementary electrical devices and provide for their compact arrangement, and to inclose all or nearly all of the electrical connections, it being made of a shape adapting it to be conveniently placed in the metallic case containing the signal-transmitter. Such form of support permits of the several electrical-devices being assembled on it before placing it in the case, thereby enabling all of the electrical-devices being placed in or removed from the case by a single operation.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an insulating support for the supplementary electrical-devices of a signal-box embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the support shown in Fig. 1, taken on the dotted line 2 2. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the support shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 1s a r1ght hand side view of the support, showing particularly the telegraph-key mounted thereon. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the support shown in Fig. 1, taken on the dotted line 3-3. Fig. 6 is a modification to be referred to, and Fig. 7 is a front view of a metallic case of a signalbox, the door being removed to show the support for the supplementary electrical-devices.

The support is made as a hollow shell, open at the back side, thereby comprising a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1912.

Application filed July 22, 1910. Serial No. 573,290.

front wall a and a side-wall at extending entirely around the front wall. The bottom of the side wall is made fiat to engage the flat face of the back wall of the case b. At the bottom of said side-wall cars (1 o are formed, which have slots a through them to receive the attaching-screws a The slots a are made larger than the shanks of the attaching-screws and are arranged at right angles to each other, as shown, to secure the shell to the case in such manner as to provide forexpansion and contraction of the case to which it is attached.

Z) represents the case, which is made of metal and is adapted to contain any usual or suitable form of signal-transmitter.

The hollowsupport, when placed in the case b, preferably rests on a thin layer Z) of putty or cement or equivalent yielding material which serves as a yielding cushion for it. In the front wall a of the support a recess is formed in which several cooperating plates 0, 0, c of a lightning-arrester are secured by screws 0 extending through the wall, said screws being made long enough to receive upon their inner ends binding-nuts c to provide for connection therewith of the circuit-wires. The plate 0 is further secured to the front wall by a screw 0 extending through said wall. The several plates have semi-circular recesses in their adjacent sides, as 0 which are arranged in pairs and the front wall has holes through it, back of said recesses, as at c, for the introduction of switch-plugs between the plates. In case telephone connections are employed, one of the plates, as 0, has a hole through it at 0 into which a thimble, 0 is placed, which extends through the front wall a, and is held in place by a nut 0 on the back side of the front wall, and a spring-arm 0 is arranged on the back side of the front wall which is attached thereto at one end by a screw 0 its opposite or free end extending across the inner end of the thimble, so that the telephone switchplug, when introduced in the thimble, will engage therewith and thereby electrically connect the plates 6 and 0 together. The plate 0 also may have a hole through it for the introduction of a switch-plug 0 and the front wall will have a corresponding hole through it at 0 1 The testing-switch is of any usual or suitable construction, and, as here shown, it

comprises pivoted switch-arms e, a, both connected to a longitudinally movable bar 0 and said switch-arms are adapted to engage plates 0 e a as the bar is moved. Said testing-switch is contained entirely within the hollow support with the exception of the end of the actuating-bar 0 which projects through a hole a in the front wall. The pivoted switch-arms e and e, and the stationary plates a c, and. 6 are all secured to the interior of the side wall of the support, as shown in Figs. 2 and The manual key is arranged on the outside of the hollow support, and when employed the side wall of the support is formed with a fiat shoulder (7, adapted to support said key.

(Z represents a pivoted key-lever and (Z a metallic block to which it is pivoted, and said block is arranged in a recess in the shoulder (Z and is secured to the side wall by a screw or other means. One end of said key-lever has a knob, by which it may be operated, and its other end has a contact point, (P, which engages a contact-point d, arranged on the top of a block (Z secured to the side wall by a screw or otherwise, which extends through the side wall. Said block, as here shown, is quadrangular and the side wall is recessed to receive its inner end. Said key-lever may have another contact-point (Z on its upper side, see Fig. 6,

adapted to engage a contact-point (Z se-.

cured to a block (Z which, like the block (Z is secured to the side wall of the support 5 by a screw, said block (Z being here shown as quadrangular and set in a recess formed 1n the slde wall.

side thereof, and on said projecting ends binding-nuts, as J", are placed, to provide for connection therewith of the circuitwires.

The side wall of the support is formed with a hole, f, and through said hole all of the circuit-wires extend, which lead from the means which connect them with the several supplementary electrical-devices, which means are arranged on the inside of the hollow-support. Said hollow support is designed and intended to be made of porcelain, or other insulating material which is non-carbonizable, and hence is adapted to protect the parts supported by it and the adjacent parts of the box from a heavy electrical current. Said hollow support, having all of the supplementary electrical devices arranged upon it or attached to it and the electrical connections properly The attaching-screws of the blocks (Z and (Z extend through the, side wall and project therefrom on the in- 1 made, may be placed in and removed from the box by a single operation, and this admits of the supplementary electrical devices being assembled and adjusted before being placed in the box.

I claim:

1. In a signal-box, the combination with a metallic case adapted to contain a signaltransmitter, of a hollow insulating support having a front wall and a side wall, the front wall of which has a recess in its front side, lightning-arrester plates arranged on the front wall in said recess and attachingscrews for said plates extending through the front wall having binding-nuts arranged on their inner projecting ends for the circuit-wires, said front wall also having holes back of holes in said plates, and one of said plates and the front wall back of it having a hole therethrough for a switch-plug, and a contact-arm attached to another plate, which extends across said hole, to be engaged by a switch-plug contained in said hole, substantially as described.

2. In a signal-box, the combination with a metallic case adapted to contain a signaltransmitter, of a hollow support of insulating material having a hole through its front wall, and a hole through its side wall, a testing-switch arranged in said support, all of the parts of which are attached to the interior of its side wall, being thereby inclosed, the actuating-lever of said switch projecting through the hole in the front I wall and the circuit-wires leading from said switch passing through the hole in the side wall, substantially as described.

3. In a signal-box, the combination with a metallic case adapted to contain a signaltransmitter, of a hollow'insulating support having a front wall and a side wall, said side wall having a shoulder, and a keylever pivoted to a block mounted on said shoulder, bearing a contact-point, and a plug secured to said side wall by a screw extending through the wall, bearing a contact-point which is arranged to be engaged by the contact-point on the key-lever, the inner end of said screw having thereon a binding-nut to provide for connection there-- with of a circuit-wire, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NATHAN H. SUREN. Witnesses H. B. DAVIS, B. J. NOYES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent Washington, D. G. 

